So
how do I know the order? I am also guilty of having followed it for some time yesterday
morning, before realising my shamefulness.

I've
had a soft-corner for Munju Warrier - purely on the basis of what I read and
heard in the media - all pass-me-down information.

But
how am I authorised to conclude anything about another's marital life? Whatever
happened the way it happened can be only
understood if we go in and reside inside the conscience of each of the three characters
involved.

One:
That's impossible. So let's not judge.

Two:
There is no right and wrong. There's only perceptions.

Three:
I will not take sides with either camp [supporting Dileep or Manju Warrier] who
claim with pride to have smelled the smoke or seen the fire.

Because:

In
my 20 years of experience as a journalist, I've played a shameless part in
'making' actresses pregnant and zooming in on the underpants of models only to
create 'silsilas'in order to have a 'Breaking
News' for the day so that I could visit the ATM at the month-end.

Hope
this explanation vindicates me of the guilt and shamelessness.

Marriage
is an intricate union, which can 'survive' if it pacifies the dictates of a complex
mind and impenetrable heart. Some choose to 'thrive' than merely 'survive'.
That's when they become fodder to the average lot.

Yes,
I wish more power to Warrier. May her be ultra-successful and achieve the
highest rewards in what she chooses to do.

Yes,
I wish more power to the newly-weds so they find the happiness and peace and
whatever else it is that they seek to have through this union.

Now
to the passionate Indians:

As
adults each one of us has the right to choose a partner when we wish to and
walk away when we feel it's not worth it.

But
majority of us are blinded by misplaced passion and superficial correctness of
how a relationship should work, based on beliefs. And unfortunately that begins
at home. We need to settle down at a certain age, we need to take the
permission of 1,2,3; we need to choose from a.b.c; we cannot look at x, y, z...

All
you parents who are reading this:

Please
understand the duty of a parent is to ensure your child stands on his/her own
two feet. It ends there. Period. After that how they lead their lives, if they
make mistakes, if they reap rewards... it's up to them. That's why we are bloody
born on this planet. To grow, not to be spoon-fed and leashed in and moulded as adults...

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Let
me confess outright here. I am NOT a fan of journalist Arnab Goswami and his
whirlwind 'The Newshour'.

He
disrespects Indian Constitution, which he hollers to be the uncoronated
custodian of. He invites people to his show to work them up so mercilessly, denying
them their basic right of expression. Modiji could explain the Fundamental
Rights to him. Or perhaps, Smriti Irani could do that better. In matters of the
mind, after all wavelength matters!

People
love to hate him and all the same hate to love him, too. He may be loud, brash,
arrogant, ignorant, impatient...possibly all of these and more. His attitude of
'my way or the high way' riles people and yet they tolerate him, when in the
21st century they have an easy option of switching channels without having to work
their ass off.

Somewhere
within, people fear missing him.

How
else can you justify the reaction that his resignation has evoked. I find it
ridiculous when people heave a sigh of relief that he's quit but are eager to
know what's his next move. They blame him of impatience and they have got not
an iota of it. People are enthusiastically guessing his next venture, when he's
gonna return, where and how and with whom. Not satisfied, they have
suggestions, too.

This
is the average lot. Average minds tolerate people that fit into their
mediocrity. They encourage people with pity to let them be or praise and eulogize
them as one among them out there trying to make it. But once they cross over
the bar and 'make it', then the lot considers it their birth right to shred
them.

Arnab connects with the armchair-opinion-makers

Let's
get this straight... Arnab has successfully managed to touch a cord in the
masses. He connects with the armchair-opinion-makers. On issues that disturb
them but are lazy to act upon or are helpless to support, he does the shouting
and protesting on their behalf. Period. They let him stroke their ego on national
issues. But when they have to take sides, their little selves within rise up. And
they accuse him, lampoon him and talk ethics when they could easily IGNORE him.

Simply
because, it is difficult to ignore success. It's in your face. You can
acknowledge it or discard it, but you can't ignore it.

Arnab
Goswami has changed the face of Indian media. Whether it is right or wrong or you
endorse it or not, or if he's set of a disastrous trend, notwithstanding. This
is the truth. And it is his passion that's got the world talking!

That's
why I love this man - Arnab Goswami the individual, the person.

I
love his passion and his unwavering dedication. He's clear about what he wants
in life and he's worked towards it, without a care to the critics. That's the
trait of successful people. They are focussed and let nothing hamper their vision.
If only all of us could have such clear intent and make our respective lives
worthwhile doing what we love instead of making one man's decision a colossal
issue.

He
is just one among the 7 billion-odd people on a small piece of rock, which in
turn is spinning in empty space.